This week, I am thrilled to invite you to an extraordinary opportunity to join AME on a strategic expedition to Japan for field reconnaissance, February 22–27, 2026!
Please view the AME Japan Experience flyer here for all the details.
This is not a study tour. It’s not a benchmarking trip. It is an immersive, once-in-a-lifetime experience for leaders who know that the next industrial leap will not come from efficiency alone, but from designing the architecture of ecosystems that sustain innovation, trust and lasting excellence.
Join AME Australia business architect Barry McCarthy and me, alongside senior Japanese business leaders in Nagoya, Osaka and Kyoto who are actively shaping the future of manufacturing and management. Together, we will explore the cultural and organizational logic that drives enduring industrial success from boardrooms to the Gemba, from Monozukuri philosophy to the living discipline of kaizen. You will also hear expert insights from former Toyota executives Darril Wilburn (USA), Barry McCarthy (AUS) and Hiroyoshi Yoshiki (JAP).
"Reconnaissance is not a hunt for answers but an opening of perception — a chance to see differently, together."
This expedition is designed for influential leaders who want to see the invisible systems in action, from the flow of design information to the rhythm of supplier learning and the architectures of trust that transform factories into thriving ecosystems. Japan remains one of the few places where these systems are visible in their full richness.
Our goal is not to imitate, but to understand coherence in action: how policy, capital and human development align to sustain innovation, stability and creative tension. Participants will explore:
- How modular cultures can leap forward by learning from Japan’s integrated approaches
- How capital can fund ecosystem growth, not just factories
- How to teach leaders to design business architectures, thinking in systems, not slogans
This is an invitation for those who see manufacturing as a national act of imagination. For leaders who view the factory as a frontier of cultural intelligence.
If you believe the next competitive advantage belongs to those who understand how culture and capability intertwine, join us to walk the gemba, see architecture as culture and return with a blueprint for the next industrial renaissance. For more information, view the AME Japan Experience website or contact me at khumphrey@ame.org.
As always, please stay safe and keep looking out for one another.